


Wilted

by shirocest (dokiis)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Kuron (Voltron), Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Twins, Angst, Artistic Liberties, Dubious Consent, Eventual Smut, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Langst, M/M, Omega Lance (Voltron), Slow Build, Warnings May Change, all the angsts, only one twin, shangst, this starts off so pure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-02-22 16:05:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13170387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dokiis/pseuds/shirocest
Summary: Family means everything to an omega and Lance talks about his family a LOT. Shiro has a brother he doesn’t really want to bring up.An A/B/O flowershop!au about the domestic lives of Lance and Shiro—This fic is very decieving so be warned. Dark times ahead.





	1. Amaryllis

Lance had shop duty. Again. 

He wouldn't have minded, apart from the fact that no one ever brought flowers aside for graduations and weddings, and neither of those usually occurred in winter. Winter weddings are a thing, but they’re rare. Still, it was the beginning of January and the City of Galra was in the midst of a harsh winter. But even if the weather was brisk, he would rather be outside than cooped up indoors. And yet, that’s exactly where he was stuck.

‘It's probably because I'm the runt of the litter,’ Lance mused with himself. Though he knew that wasn't the case. His parents did everything they could to make him feel included and that meant he didn’t get a special treatment. So having him run the shop when no one else does was an act of equality. He groaned, leaning on the counter. Why'd they have to be so fair?

‘At least I can get some work done,’ he proposed to himself, as he took out his textbook and opened up to the subject he last remembered discussing in class. He didn't know which chapter they were on and couldn't bring himself to look it up in the syllabus. Forced studying was torture in and of itself.

To his relief, the bell at the front of the store chimed as someone opened the door, letting out a loud ring that echoed through the entire shop. Talk about saved by the bell. A stranger walked in cautiously, probably shocked by how loud the bell rang, feeling obligated to buy something even more now. Lance always felt that those bells people had in stores were kind of manipulative in that sense. "Works like a charm", as his dad would say.

The customer stood in the corner of the store close to the door to be able to make a swift escape. He lingered around, pretending to know something about flowers, or even which flowers to get.

"If you need any help, let me know." Lance called from behind the counter, setting a tone of 'hey I'm expecting you to buy something' just as his mother had taught him.

"T-Thank you!" the customer responded abruptly, smiling nervously, not making any real eye contact in Lance's direction. Lance beamed back. ‘I know the feeling, buddy.’ He hated it when store personnel make themselves known, but he at least wants to earn something for his time here.

The man slowly made his way deeper into the store until settling on a rich bouquet of roses. A bit simple for Lance’s tastes, but always a safe choice. He watched as the man 'subtly' checked the price, breathing a sigh of relief. Lance cracked a smile; it must've been in his price range. He walked briskly towards the counter, yet still slow enough to pretend he hadn't made a final decision, occasionally scanning other items in the shop.

As Lance got a better look of the man, he was a lot taller than Lance had anticipated... and quite handsome? His hair was clean-cut midnight in contrast to a tuft of pure white he wore as bangs. He was rock-jawed with gunmetal eyes that could pierce through scar tissue. Adorned in a blazer over a well-fitted dress shirt that was flattering to his form. A grey scarf was also loosely wrapped around his neck, seemingly more for fashion than for actually keeping him warm. Lance was smug as he noticed how tightly the stranger’s sleeves hugged the thickness of his arms; you don’t get muscles like that without spending numerous hours in the gym. He stood ramrod straight with shoulders that proudly mitered at ninety-degree angles. He was built like a god! Even with his scent hidden Lance could tell...  
   
This man was an alpha. 

Not that Lance believed people should be subjected to stereotypes. God-willing, he would hate for someone to do the same to him, but Lance didn’t quite fit the mold of a ‘submissive omega’ himself. He was bold and brash and never cowered before anyone. He was often shunned for his behavior, but that never stopped him. So to see another person not suit their endotype was a breath of fresh air. Not to mention that a shy alpha was rarer than an outspoken omega. 

Regardless of his intrigue, Lance kept his guard up, as he did when encountering any alpha; having to will himself against his instincts - ignoring his attraction. It was for his own protection, not to feed into society’s bias.

“Happy New Year.” Lance greeted with caution. The man looked taken aback by the statement, but quickly recovered. "Happy New Year." He observed the other, almost trusting to push the conversation further. He seemed even more harmless up close.

He decided to test the waters. "You really saved me back there." Lance chuckled curtly, more to himself than out loud. 

Again the stranger stood perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Lance looked up at the stranger, curious.

"If you hadn't come in just now, I would have been subjected to slaving away over university work." He lifted his textbook from behind the counter, pretending it was much heavier than it actually was and feigning distress by resting the back of his hand on his forehead. That drew a laugh from the stranger. It was more out of politeness, but Lance found himself smiling as the sound reached his ears.

"Well, I'm glad I could help."

"So you find everything you need, handsome?" Lance knew he was pushing it, but if this guy were truly an alpha, Lance could probably take him on. That, or this man was an incredible liar, but Lance wanted to take his chances.

"Uhh... yeah." The stranger blushed. Lance grinned to himself.

"What's the occasion? You going on a date?" Shit. He hoped he didn’t sound too forward.

"Sort of..." the man rubbed the back of his neck, "more of an apology lunch." Well, points for honesty.

"Apology? You don't look like you would hurt a fly." Lance giggled, internally cringing. Control yourself, maybe?! He knew he was pushing it.

The stranger smiled nervously and clutched the bouquet tighter, blush reaching his ears. "They don't seem to think so."

Lance gripped the counter, averting his gaze. He said he wasn't going to let his instincts get the better of him and here he was openly flirting with a guy trying to win back his girlfriend. At least now that he knew this guy was interested in someone else, he could relax. The guy doesn’t want him and a part of him was... disappointed that the man was taken.

"Well it's a beautiful bouquet, I'm sure she'll like it." He piped up with a half-hearted smile.

The man paused, before speaking again.

"Men like flowers too."

Lance leaned closer, resting on the counter. It could've just been a statement. Just a general statement defending all the men of the world who loved flowers, like when someone tries to waste food and another person says "think of the children in Africa!" But the tone of his voice and the way he locked eyes with Lance, suggested more. It was almost... inviting. Daring.  
Like he said it because he wanted Lance to know.

"That's very true." Lance purred, lips curling into a grin.

Shameless. Just shameless.

\--------

No one else came to the store besides Mrs. Park, a regular customer who came in to pick up tomato seeds to plant in her garden. She'd become an old family friend.

"Halmeoni, I don't know how you do it every winter. Don't you get cold?" He asked in a lighter tone, but Lance was genuinely worried since the woman was only getting older and not as limber as she believed herself to be.

"The cold is worth it if I get to enjoy your father’s cooking in the spring." She laughed, fine lines crinkled near her eyes when she smiled.

"You know Papi would make you his ropa vieja whenever you ask." And it was the truth. His family grew up with Mrs. Park - she was the only grandmother figure Lance had in his life since one of his had passed away before he was born, and the other one was still back in Cuba. Mrs Park was widowed and her children were spread out across the state with their own families. Lance seemed to care more about her worsening health than her own kids.

He smiled softly at her as she continued.

"But you know his food tastes best with my tomatoes." She spoke matter-of-factly.

"Well that's true." Lance sighed. There was no helping it. He knew this lady would do whatever she wanted despite his suggestions. "How about I help you garden?"

She beckoned him closer, reaching over the counter; Lance leaned down to humor the small woman. Pinching his cheek she asked, amused:"Are you worried about me, aduel?"

He grinned, holding his hands up in defense, "No, no I'm just volunteering. Plus, I've got these strong muscles that can lift a dozen bags of tomatoes." He made a show of flexing his biceps to emphasize his point.

"Well you're the strongest omega I've ever met." She chortled, but the tone was a bit mocking. Lance didn't let it get to him. She was of the older generation; she couldn't help that mindset. She placed the seed on the counter, a knowing smile on her face. "If you have an alpha friend you should bring him too."

Instantly, his mind flew back to the alpha from earlier today, but that was probably the first time and last time he'd ever see him. 

\-----

The alpha returned the next day.

"Again? What'd you do this time, fella." Lance didn't hesitate to call the stranger out in his playful tone.

"Nothing." The man replied too quickly in defense. "I'm just... looking around." He moved swiftly toward the counter, knowing his way around the store, but slow enough to make Lance believe his previous statement. He didn't.

He looked nervous coming up to Lance empty handed, but quickly settled on the rack full of various seed packets near enough to the counter so Lance could look at the man or so the man could look at him. Good choice.

The man took his time picking out a couple of packets from the rack, probably of plants he was familiar with or flowers he thought were pretty. When he was satisfied with his collection he brought them over to Lance.

"So let me get this straight," Lance started, "I sell you this award winning bouquet to win back the heart of your lover and that doesn't work, so instead you settle on growing a garden from them instead?" 

"That's... that is correct." He still looked nervous, but at least he knew how to play along, if not a little awkwardly. Lance grinned.

"Well hate to break it to you, buddy, but these plants are all out of season." Lance wanted to laugh at the look of embarrassment on the man's face, but held back.

"I'm sorry." The man covered his face with his palm trying to hide his blush.

"Don't sweat it man, no one knows a thing about gardening. It truly is witchcraft." The man startled as Lance made his way out of the counter. "Come on handsome, I'll show you something."

As he was followed through the store, Lance could feel the other’s eyes on him. This is the first time he's seen anything besides Lance’s face. He hummed, entertained at the thought.

He knelt down to pick up a box before getting up off the ground, "Usually I'd recommend someone grow Marigolds or Daisies around this time of year, but you're clearly clueless about plants and I don't wanna see you sobbing when nothing sprouts out of the ground come March. So here.” he handed the box over to the man. "It's an Amaryllis flower kit. They're these beautiful flowers that give off a nice aroma and since they grow indoors, I have faith that you won't kill them right away."

"Thanks..." the man looked over at Lance's name tag, as if he hadn't read it yesterday, "Lance."

He chuckled, scratching at his undercut. They walked back to the counter together.

\----------

He didn't see the man again for a week. Admittedly, after seeing him two days straight, Lance asked to tend the flower shop again the next day. When the man didn't show up, Lance assumed he only came on his days off, he couldn't expect the man to be there every day. Of course he had a life. So a few days later, when his sister mentioned getting a customer who asked for him, Lance made sure he was there the next day just in case. And to his luck, the man came.

He didn't take his time making his way to the counter. He went straight up to Lance with nothing in his hands and no feigned interest in things he didn't understand.

"You buy a lot of flowers for one person or have a lot of lovers." Lance grinned.

The stranger smiled, not as thrown off by Lance's quips this time around. "I assure you that's not the case." He said resting a strong arm over the counter to Lance's delight.

"Well that's good. So what can I do for you, stranger?"

"It's Shiro." He intervened. A little too prepared for this conversation, clearly he wanted Lance to call him by his name. The reason behind it unimportant, but Lance found it endearing.

"Alright, Shiro, what can I do you for?" Lance purred. Completely aware of his phrasing, but noting the slight shiver of Shiro's body. 

"I'm just... looking around." Shiro paused as he seemed to examine Lance's face; locking his gaze and never deterring from it. "What-what are you studying?" 

Almost as if broken by a trance, Lance looked to his books behind the counter. "Oh, I'm taking Biology." Lance grinned. "I'll be done in the summer."

"So you're 21?" Oh... it was that kind of question.

"Yeah, but _turning_ 21 in July. I took a bunch of summer classes to get ahead." Now it was his turn to enquire. "How about you?"

"26. Do you go to UoG?" Lance actually received this question a lot, since it was a highly acclaimed university and it was near in distance.

"University of Galra? Home to all the douche alphas of the state? No thanks. I go to Altea."

Shiro burst out laughing at his comment, "Aw come on, don't go at my alma mater like that." It was more than polite laughter this time. Shiro was genuinely amused.

"Well am I wrong?" Lance feigned offense by crossing his arms and holding his nose up in the air.

"Not entirely..." Shiro pretended to wipe a tear from his eye, "but I'd like to think I'm not another douche alpha that went to a typical douche alpha university."

"Were you part of a fraternity?" Lance eyed Shiro suspiciously.

Shiro rubbed his own neck, "Well yeah..."

"Douche!"Lance made a show of throwing his hands in the air, knowing he was the king of over-the-top reactions, but that was just part of his charm. Shiro seemed to catch onto Lance's humor because he started laughing again.

"An alpha in a fraternity... my god, I'm a walking stereotype!" Shiro played along by over-exaggerating the epiphany. Though he wasn't as dramatic of an actor as Lance, he got points for trying. Once he had calmed down, Shiro continued. "But isn't Altea far?"

"It's like a 40 minute drive if you exclude traffic." Lance shrugged, "Still, I'd rather be there than in Galra. That place is a no omega zone."

Shiro frowned at the last comment. Though Lance could only be hyper-aware that they had both just revealed their statuses to each other. Two strangers who were talking to each other for the third time.

"Well I'm glad you’re somewhere safe." Shiro replied genuinely. And Shiro must've been a villain or something because he had convinced Lance that he cared just by tone alone. It took everything out of Lance to look away from Shiro's eyes.

"Are you..." Lance began slowly, "Are you gonna buy something?"

Shiro smiled, shrugging. "I think I’m through with apologizing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuron's not gonna come by til like chapter 5 my dudes. I call him Kuron, but he's really Kuro from the fandom. Also warning: this fic will have a lot of artistic liberties on omegaverse and on character lore. Shiro's real name is Shirogane Takahashi, Shirogane being his first name instead of last. It will come up later, so I'm giving my warning now. If you see any mistakes let me know in the comments :) 
> 
> Thank you @klancing-with-myself and @calliopestories for beta-ing the first chapter. Follow me on shirocest.tumblr.com
> 
> I’m now following #wiltedshance on Tumblr!


	2. Tulip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So maybe that scene from “Crazy, Stupid Love” wasn’t as well thought out for our heroes.
> 
> Lance and Shiro figure out how to manage a relationship with their conflicting schedules and we get a peak into Lance’s school and family life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple notes:
> 
> *Shiro’s last name is Takahashi. So his first name is not Takashi. Why is this important? I wanted to emphasize the contrast between Shirogane/Kurogane (Kuron). And it’ll make more sense later I promise, but I can’t have that if both of their last names are Shirogane.
> 
>  
> 
> *Pidge goes by she/her pronouns, but she’s comfortable being agender, also aphenotype if that’s a term. She’s an alpha, but she doesn’t identify as one
> 
>  
> 
> *I know some of Lance’s relatives were mentioned in season 5, but I wrote this before the season came out. Their names are based on knights of the round table/Arthurian lore. (Eg: Cam = Camelot) and also based on this image: http://78.media.tumblr.com/d80dbc66fa6d6c7b543c3389756ba8f3/tumblr_omt5hz0Y7F1qmu9f0o1_1280.png

“Here,” Lance held out his hand, “Let me see your phone.”

Shiro fumbled around his coat before reaching into his back pocket. He unlocked his phone using his thumbprint before handing it over to Lance. Shiro watched curiously as Lance tapped away on his phone before swiftly handing it back.

Lance winked and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the way Shiro’s eyes lit up.

“Thank you,” he grinned and his smile reached his eyes in a handsomely adorable way.

“No worries, but you better use it.” Lance wagged his finger expectantly.

“I will!” Shiro beamed. “I need to go now, but I’ll-I’ll call you.”

Shiro left with a bounce in his step, nearly knocking over a pot of tulips. The alpha was simply too big for the small store and Lance had to stifle a laugh. He’d never seen an alpha behave like this before, but he figured he quite enjoyed it.

Shiro was barely out the door when Lance’s phone began to ring. Unknown caller.

Lance picked up the phone. “Did you think I would give you the wrong number?” he chuckled.

“I just couldn’t wait to call you.”

Damn. That was a good line.

\----------  
The call was short because Shiro needed to drive home, but over the phone it didn’t seem like he wanted to leave and it made Lance kind of happy. Lance asked if they could call again later that day, but Shiro had work and Lance couldn’t stay up too late because he had morning classes the next day.

“How about Saturday? I have weekends off.”

“Can’t… I’m working.”

“Sunday?”

“Umm…”

Shiro later revealed that those two days he took off were purely out of coincidence and that he very rarely got time off of work. The other two days he came to visit he was only passing by the store on his way to work, just like he did today.

“I mean we can still call and you can always text me,” Shiro offered.

“Yeah, until next time then.”

They both hung up the phone. Lance didn’t understand why he felt so heartbroken. He had literally just seen the man less than ten minutes ago and he was already convinced that it was over before it even started. Shiro was way out of his league anyway and their schedules didn’t match up.

The skeptic in him kept trying to convince himself that this was all a ruse and that Shiro deserved an oscar for the way he tricked Lance into taking interest in him. No alpha on earth was that nice and he did admit he was in a fraternity. 26-year-old fuckboy.

“Maybe he was just being nice to get into your pants…”

“You can’t assume that of every alpha!”

“What if I just found the one good alpha, but what are the chances of that?”

“Lance, #NOTALLALPHAS”

“Great now I’m talking to myself,” Lance buried his face in his hands and groaned.  
\-----------

The following weeks were spent mostly on the phone. Whether it was texting each other memes or hearing Shiro’s deep voice tickle his ear through the phone, Lance and Shiro paved a way for a makeshift-relationship. For a while, Lance had almost forgotten he had met Shiro in person at all. It had been so long since he’d last seen his face. It wasn’t until two weeks in that Lance finally received the text:

> Mind if I come by the shop today?

“Yes!” Lance jumped out of his seat in the middle of a silent lecture hall. A very crowded lecture hall.

All eyes turned to him as he stood frozen clutching his phone in his hand. His instructor, a hard-faced man by the name Iverson, cleared his throat from in front of the room, “Yes Mr. McClain, you should be very excited. From what I understand, you had the highest score on last week’s exam. Congratulations.” The thunderous sound of applause and over-exaggerated whooping from the students echoed in the lecture hall much to Lance’s horror.

“I see great potential in you, young man,” the phrase sounded threatening through Iverson’s lips even though it was meant to be praise, “but would you mind staying in your seat as not to disturb the other students.” It was definitely threatening.

Lance’s face burned red as he slowly sat back in his seat. He could hear Lotor and his pack snicker behind him, but chose to ignore it.

Iverson turned around and carried on with the lecture, “As I was saying, the key difference between an Alpha and an Alpha Prime is the Prime’s ability to dominate over other alphas.”

\----------  
“So are you going to tell us about your lover or not?”

Lance and his friends Hunk, a tall and stocky person in stature, and Pidge, the complete opposite: small and slender, walked out of the lecture hall and made their way to the cafeteria.

“Lover?!” Lance’s face flushed, shaking his head, “I keep telling you guys it’s not like that!”

“You literally leapt out of your seat in the middle of class and shouted ‘Yes!’ after staring at your phone.” Pidge said matter-of-factly. “Either you just won the lottery or you’re hoping to win it tonight with your boo thang.”

“Pidge, please don’t say ‘boo thang’.” Lance cringed.

“Lance,” Hunk wrapped his arm around him, “I’ve known you for years and you know you can’t keep a secret from me. And the way your eyes have been glued to your phone for the past couple weeks is quite telling.”

Lance sighed, “Alright, if you must know, I’ve… been talking to someone.”

“Called it!” Pidge grinned.

“But it’s nothing serious! At least not yet anyway...” Lance rubbed his neck shyly.

“Oh, who is it? Is it Jenny from gymnastics. I know you’ve mentioned how flexible she is.” Pidge waggled her brows.

“What, no! It’s not a girl.”

“How about Jeremy from physics?” Hunk added.

“Guys, he’s not from-”

Lance didn’t look where he was going and crashed into someone causing him to fall to the floor. He grunted out of annoyance and out of slight pain and was ready to apologize, but was glad he held his tongue when he looked up from the ground.

It was Lotor and his group of lackeys. Lotor was tall and athletic with long hair that pooled passed his shoulders. He didn’t feel the need to hide his scent when he walked around. Everything about him screamed alpha, not like in the way it did for Shiro, but as if Lotor had to announce it to the world to remind them that he was important. As if he were a gift from the gods.

It was that attitude that Lance hated so much.

Most people didn’t have packs until after college, but Lotor’s had his since he was in high school. It was mainly due to status. Lotor was the mayor’s son, born to a wealthy and well-known family. Sure, people had cliques and their group of friends that would eventually feel like family, but when you were as rich as Lotor, you could basically buy your friends. It was all very political.

“I quite like you in this position, Lance.” Lotor sneered from above him, “Though I could really see you in other positions as well.”

Lotor offered his hand, but Lance slapped it away, “Fuck off, asshole.”

“Oh, you’d be so much cuter if you knew how to behave.” Lotor’s brows bumped together in a scowl, bringing his hand away. “For someone who’s acing biology, you don’t seem to know yours.”

Hunk helped Lance up off the ground and Lance brushed himself off.

“That goes for the rest of you too.” Lotor motioned at both Pidge and Hunk. “An alpha who rejects her phenotype and a beta… well betas count as nothing anyway.” His lips curled as if trying to contain laughter. “What a sad excuse of a so-called pack.”

“That’s it,” Lance lunged forward and before his mind could stop his body, his fist had met skin. The skin of Lotor’s face. His left cheek to be exact.

Lotor stepped back due to the impact and out of shock, from the way his pupils dilated. He felt the skin where Lance punched him before turning to grab Lance by the cuff of his shirt, his hands balled up into fists, “I’m going to-”

“Lotor.”

It was Allura, the dean’s daughter who intervened. Her voice was gentle when she spoke, almost like a purr. Lance knew this mannerism almost akin to chirping, a way to calm down a frenzied alpha, but not quite as impactful.

“Allura.” Lotor froze, then slowly set Lance down. His facial features instantly softened.

Lance’s lips primed. Allura wasn’t Lotor’s mate, but he wanted her be. And the way she had used his pheromones against him, she might as well be. It was pretty low in Lance’s book to use her omega status in that way. It was as if she were selling out to society’s idea of an omega.

“Lance,” she turned to him, resting a hand on his shoulder, “you know better than to go off starting fights.”

He shrugged her touch away, “yeah, I know. But Allura, you don’t understand, he was harassing me and my frien-”

“Lotor,” she interrupted, “I’m sure Lance would like to apologize to you.” She cleared her throat, turning to him in anticipation. “Isn’t that right Lance?”

Lance was at a loss for words. She was taking his side? If to apologize meant to send another fist flying to Lotor’s face, maybe. But did she really expect Lance to step down to this alpha jerk, after what he said!

“Lance.” Hunk was beside him, his eyes pleading. Pidge had her face tilted away.

In his heart, he felt betrayed at how the world worked against him that even his friends would back down from this fight, but he trusted them.

“Sorry.” He tried to be as deadpan as possible, as not to sound sarcastic, but not to sound sincere either.

“Apology accepted,” Lotor beamed, sending a smile towards Allura. He walked passed Lance, right between him and Pidge, with enough force to nudge past his shoulder. “You could learn a thing or two from a proper omega.”  
=========

"Mijo, it's rare to see you in the shop on your day off. What’s the occasion?” His father spoke as he lifted boxes from the back room.

Lance shrugged from behind the counter, never once averting his eyes from the book in his hand. He had read the same line at least a dozen times, but his mind was occupied by something else aside from _The Legendary Defender_.

"It's cause he's waiting for his boyfriend." His older sister teased as she marked off supplies from her clipboard, side eyeing Lance with a wide smirk.

"Damaris!" Lance threatened, frustrated at his lack of a witty comment.

"Oh?" His father voiced interest. "And why haven't I met the lovely man who has stolen my son's heart? Is he prepared to ask for your hand in marriage?"

"Papá, it's nothing like that!" Lance could feel the blood rushing to his face. "Shiro and I are just talking..."

"Shiro is it?" His father stroked his chin, "I guess it's better if I interrogate him before your mother does." He chuckled before leaving to get more supplies from the backroom.

Though it was true that Lance would much rather have his dad confront Shiro over his mother, they had only been talking for a couple of weeks. He didn't even know if Shiro was serious about him and he was afraid of having an alpha boyfriend. He had always been known as a stubborn omega to his family and friends. One who rejected instinct, one who refused to submit, one who wouldn't be a stereotype. And now he has an alpha boyfriend? ‘Potential boyfriend,’ Lance corrected himself. He felt like he was betraying everything he believed in. What would everyone think of him?

He shook away the thought when he heard the bell ring. "Shiro!" Lance wish he was better at containing his excitement.

"Hey." Shiro smiled from the doorway before allowing himself in. He seemed a little startled by Lance's company, but relaxed when his gaze settled on Lance.

He leaned an arm over the counter, "Hey." He said again, speaking softly as if he was telling Lance a secret he didn't want his family to hear. Shiro locked eyes with him like they were the only two there. Damaris cleared her throat. Clearly they weren't.

"Are you going to introduce us?" She asked expectantly, getting a kick out of how embarrassed Shiro looked having ignored her.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm Shiro." He held out a hand to her, which she took while smiling at Lance. He rolled his eyes.

"Oh I know." She smirked, "You came asking for my brother, last time I saw you." Lance laughed when Shiro blushed.

"Actually... haven't I seen you before?" Damaris raised a brow as she examined Shiro's face quizzically, "Wait, did you go to Galra?"

"Yeah." Shiro nodded only noticing now that they were still shaking hands.

"You probably don't remember me cause I was in the class after yours, but you used to have purple hair, right?" Lance had to hold back his laughter, he couldn't picture Shiro with purple hair even if he tried.

"Yeah... I was going through a phase." Shiro released Damaris's hand, bringing it up to the back of his neck, "I didn't want to be mistaken for my brother." He chuckled politely.

Lance was enjoying the conversation, but was envious of how quickly his sister found things out about Shiro, becoming painfully aware of the age gap as well.

"Do you still hang out with Matt?"

Lance noticed Shiro tense up at the question. Shiro averted his gaze.

"No. We... uh... don't talk anymore." It was probably an ex. ‘The ex that Shiro broke up with perhaps?’ he wondered. Lance didn't let it get to him.

"Ahh so is this the boyfriend I keep hearing about?" His father interrupted.

"Pa-" Lance tried to defend himself, but it was already too late. His dad had Shiro in a tight hug, lifting him off the ground. Damaris laughed at Shiro's shocked expression. Lance could die of embarrassment now.

Shiro tried his best to compose himself when he was finally set down, "You must be Lance's father." He still went for the handshake even after receiving a massive bear hug. Lance tried to hide his face with his hand.

His father looked puzzled, but took his hand anyway. "Nice to meet you. My name is Cameron McClain, but you can call me Cam."

"Nice to meet you." Shiro smiled. Lance's father turned to him, away from Shiro's view, and mouthed "He's handsome". Lance rolled his eyes.

"You should come over for dinner sometime." His father suggested.

"You should!" Damaris seconded.

"I don't- I mean if Lance-" Shiro looked over at Lance clearly in need of assistance. And against his better judgment, he knew it was his job to save the timid alpha.

"Shiro we'd love to have you for dinner."

\----------  
"Could you tell your family I won't be able to have dinner with them cause I'll be busy for the next couple weeks."

Lance laughed, "Why didn't you tell them back in the store?"

"It was their first impression of me, I didn't want to mess it up." Shiro shrugged, shifting his weight in his seat.

"Well that's fair." Lance mused, "If you would have said no, my family would have dragged you to our house for sure."

They were sitting in a park bench a short distance away from the store. It took them about five minutes to get there on foot, but walking allowed them to spend more time together. And the cold air allowed them to walk closer to each other which Lance also enjoyed. They even held hands at one point, Shiro's larger hand entangled in Lance's delicate fingers. He could feel Shiro's natural warmth radiating through his touch.

"So if you're busy does that mean you won't be visiting me at the shop for a while?"

"No, I'll always make time for you." Shiro wrapped an arm around Lance's shoulder. He couldn't lie that the line along with the gesture made his heart beat faster.

“So..." Shiro sat closer. "Lance McClain?”

“You looking for a new last name?” he joked, poking Shiro's arm.

\----------

"I like him, he had a very strong handshake."

After a period of silence, his father tried making casual conversation. Unfortunately for Lance, it was an ill topic of discussion. He continued sweeping the floor.

"But he's not really... who I pictured you with." It was everything he was dreading, but hearing it said out loud hurt even more. Both of parents were blatantly honest with him, his father a bit more passive than his mother, but even easing into the topic had Lance feeling anxious.

"I'm not saying you two shouldn't be together, but I always thought-"

"That I wouldn't be with an alpha." Lance sighed, clutching the broom tighter. "I know, but there's something about Shiro. He's like me. We don't fit into our stereotype. We reject it."

"But I don't..." Lance breath hitched, "I don't want people thinking less of me because of what they see... I want to be with Shiro because he’s Shiro and not because he’s an Alpha, being in a relationship with an Alpha doesn’t mean that I’m a pathetic and weak Omega.”

"Mijo," Lance's dad grabbed his shoulder, "Only you know your true intentions. Don’t let people take that away from you.” Just because you're with him doesn't mean you've given up on your beliefs." His dad hugged him. "As long as you remember who you are and stick with that, you'll be fine."

"Gracias Papá." Lance smiled, holding back tears.

========  
Shiro leaned over the counter watching Lance try to get school work done. His presence made Lance's throat dry and he could hear his heart beat through his ears.

"Can I help you?" He asked deciding not to look up at Shiro afraid that if he did he'd fall deeper under the man's spell.

"No, I'm just looking." He spoke with a rich baritone voice, sending vibrations throughout Lance's being.

“I never should've flirted with you in the first place, now you come here all the time and never buy anything!"

"Ahh... so you admit you were flirting with me." Shiro hummed playfully. ‘When did he get so smug?’

Lance rolled his eyes.

"But sure I'll buy something."

"Oh really?" Lance was only joking, so he wasn't expecting Shiro's response.

"How about dinner tomorrow night?"

Lance could feel his face heat up, he had wanted Shiro to ask him for weeks now, but didn't want to come off too strong since Shiro hadn't indicated any plans of going out. Their first real date would be on Valentine's Day.

\----------

All he was told was to "dress nice", but when they pulled up in Shiro's car to the fanciest restaurant in town, Lance felt inadequate. Shiro opened his door and offered his arm to Lance before handing his keys to the valet. He noticed the way Shiro's tailored suit fit him perfectly, while his own fell loose on his shoulders having been passed down from his brother.

It was even fancier inside with marble tiles and velvet chairs lining each table. Elegant lanterns above them illuminated the room. Lance released Shiro's arm as he went to the hostess at the front desk.

"Hello. Table for two under Takahashi." Shiro turned to look at Lance who gave him a soft smile.

"Yes, right this way." They followed the hostess into the dining hall and were seated at a table in the corner. "Your server will be with you shortly." She handed them their menus.

Lance felt overwhelmed as he scanned the prices on the menu. ‘Do people like him eat caviar? Gold-infused what?’

"Hey, don't worry about the price." Shiro probably noticed him looking wide-eyed at the menu. "The reason I haven't been able to take you out on a proper date is cause I've been saving up to take you somewhere really nice."

Lance failed to hide his blush. "You didn't need to do that."

"Yeah, but I like you. And you deserve the best." Shiro turned his head away as he said it. It caught Lance off guard. They barely held hands, but knowing that he wasn't the only one feeling vulnerable in their relationship made Lance want to bury his face in his hands.

The server arrived soon after, offering them some wine, at which Shiro turned to Lance. He doesn’t drink, so he politely declined the offer. Lance chose the most reasonably priced item on the menu despite Shiro's insistence. He gave in when Shiro suggested dessert though, but only if they chose one to share which Shiro had no problem agreeing to.

They talked about mundane things throughout the night. Well, Lance did most of the talking. He didn't mind, but he knew he was just filling in the gaps to avoid an awkward silence. He told Shiro about his friends, Pidge and Hunk, at school and how he was aiming to be the top of his class come graduation. He already had his speech prepared.

Even though he was genuinely excited to tell Shiro more about his life and to be able to spend this time with him, he felt somewhat childish going on and on about things that didn't matter. He was still in school, still living with his parents, and didn't really know what to do with life after college. While Shiro had his own car, his own apartment and was able to afford a place like this.

Shiro said he enjoyed hearing him talk over the phone, but Lance wasn't sure how true that was in person. But every time he looked up from the table he saw Shiro staring at him with his smouldering eyes and a smile dangling at the corner of his lips. He reached over to place his hand over Lance's, rubbing the space between Lance's index finger and thumb. It sent shivers down his spine.

They were fortunately interrupted by the server bringing them their food. They ate in comfortable silence only speaking about how good the food tastes and offering to try each other's plate. By the time they were finished they were both full and had to cancel on dessert.

Lance grabbed the check before Shiro could take a look at it and examined the price. He felt his stomach drop. ‘Who charges that much for water?’ He reached for his wallet only to have the bill swiped away from him. "Hey, I'm the one taking you out on this date, don't you dare ruin my hard work."

"Come on, let me at least help."

"Not a chance, I busted my butt for weeks." Shiro primed his lips, furrowing his brows.

"So if I take you on a date next time, you'll let me pay?" Lance grinned, leaning forward in his seat.

Shiro's expression softened and he smiled, "Deal."

\----------

Shiro parked his car a little distance away from Lance's house. It was getting late, but they both wanted to spend as much time with each other before Lance would have to go home. They sat inside the car in silence, holding hands, twiddling their thumbs against each other as they both watched the clock. Lance didn't feel pressured to say anything this time, he felt at peace.

"Lance."

It was Shiro who broke the silence, but he seemed nervous doing so, loosening his grip on Lance's hand. "I want us... to be exclusive."

Lance felt his heart skip, "I mean, I'm already not talking to anyone else and I don't plan to," Shiro scratched the back of his head, "but I realized I never asked you and I want you to be my boyfriend."

"Yeah." Lance piped, giving Shiro a gapped mouth stare.

"Yeah?" Shiro arched a brow. "That's the least I've ever heard you say." He chuckled.

"No, I mean of course!" Lance reassured him, bringing his hands up in defense, "I'd like that."

Shiro beamed, pleased with his answer. He reached a hand to Lance's face and rested it on his cheek. Lance leaned into the touch. Shiro leaned forward in his seat and captured Lance's lips in a sweet kiss. When they pulled apart, Lance's eyes felt heavy as he examined Shiro's face. He only took a fraction of breath before they were kissing again and he was using his tongue.

He felt Shiro's hands move away from his face before settling above his hips. In the corner of his eye, Lance noticed a beam of light indicating that there were cars driving past his neighborhood, and that someone could catch them at any moment. But he didn’t care about getting caught. Somehow the thought excited him.

"Lance." Shiro voice was sultry and low, breathing into his mouth and filling his lungs, reducing the intervals where their lips touched to only when he was in need of air. Lance felt Shiro tugging at his hips, inviting him to make his way onto Shiro's lap in the compactness of his car. Lance quickly obliged. Crossing his leg awkwardly over Shiro, before ultimately succeeding to straddle him. Shiro discarded Lance's suit jacket, leaving it in the unoccupied seat besides them.

‘Was Lance the type to put out on his first date? Was he the type to put out before marriage? After they did this would Shiro not talk with him anymore? Was their time spent together only leading up to this? Was he only an Omega to him, to be used and thrown away at will?’ Lance had heard so many stories in real life and television. Shay, who had to drop out of college for having a one night stand with an alpha she never saw again all because of an unexpected heat. Regris, whose boyfriend only used him during his rut then tossed him aside even though the omega was clearly in love with him. And that love wasn’t even real. It was a product of pheromones and manipulation, fantasies that they feed to omegas to influence them to submit. And it’s not just the fact that an Alpha-Omega relationship is romanticized and hypersexualized in media, his anatomy didn’t allow him much of a choice either. All these things by the will of an alpha. He was afraid of falling into the same trap. He was afraid of feeling powerless.

"Hey." Shiro cupped Lance's face in his hands, bringing him back to reality. He spoke softly as he gently rubbed Lance's cheek. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

Lance held back his tears. He felt like it was the first time he was ever given a choice. Even his parents, who tried their best to make Lance feel equal, unknowingly held him to a lower standard because of his status. And hearing those words coming from an alpha, from Shiro, meant the world to him.

He leaned back into the kiss without saying anything. And Shiro let him take lead from above him as he laid back in his seat and stretched out his neck to let Lance kiss him even deeper.

Lance gyrated his hips in quick, jerking motions when he felt his pants tighten up at his crotch. He hadn't realize he was rubbing himself against Shiro, until he felt Shiro's chest rumbling underneath him in what could only be a growl. He pulled back for a second, frightened and unsure of the reaction, but Shiro's hands were still gentle on his hips. Lance carefully continued his motions, rocking gently against Shiro's arousal while he felt it harden beneath him. Shiro allowed Lance to take control of the situation, following the movement of his hips, never once taking lead. They stopped kissing and soon he was rutting against Shiro feverishly, his head tilted back and he let out a moan when he felt Shiro's hands on his ass.

‘Could he make Shiro come like this?’ And suddenly Lance's mind drifted to the idea of having Shiro inside him. A sensation he wouldn't even know, but somehow he was able to imagine it and picture Shiro's kno-

There was a tapping on the window besides them. They both froze. Of course Damaris would come home at this time. Lance quickly got off of Shiro and sat back in the passenger's seat. Shiro rolled down his window.

"Lance, it's time to go back in." His sister smirked. She knew.

"I'll umm..." Shiro cleared his throat. "I’ll drive you to the front of your house, Lance." He looked at Damaris "Do you need a ride?"

She chuckled, "Nah, I'm gonna find something to eat. Kay and the kids stopped by, so there's nothing at home." Lance was going to suggest cereal, but decided to let his sister go.

Shiro drove the short distance to the front of Lance's home. "Tell your parents I said hi." He ran a hand through his hair, "I would go inside, but I'm still kind of..." He looked down at his lap.

"I'll tell them you have work in the morning." Lance chuckled while getting out of the car.

Shiro smiled, ready to leave.

"Wait."

Lance leaned inside through the car window and gave Shiro a chaste kiss on the lips, "One more for the road," he grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long for this, but the next chapter will be on time! Since it’s already written lol
> 
> Thanks @calliopestories for beta-ing. Follow me on shirocest.tumblr.com
> 
> I’m now following #wiltedshance on Tumblr!


	3. Peony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Shiro officially start dating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed Lance’s age to 20. To make the age gap worse :3c

_“Lance.”_

Shiro growled. His hands were on Lance’s hips holding him down as he fucked into him, his grip strong enough to leave bruises. His dick, hard and thick inside of Lance, fit like a glove and Shiro’s pace became quick and erratic indicating to Lance that he would finally receive the seed he so craved.

Lance, with his head on the bed and his ass in the air, thrusted back excitedly, urging him to finish. He loved being manhandled and fucked, used as a fleshlight. His back arched into a delicious curve and his lips parted into a desperate plea,

_“Fuck me Alpha!”_

Lance woke up with a jolt. 

He had to take a moment to recollect his breathing, running a hand through his sweat drenched hair before removing his blanket. He reached down his pants expecting the worst.

He wasn’t wet. But he had come.

He sighed, relieved at the discovery, but wrinkled his nose at the sight of the gunk on his hand which he wiped off on his pants. He pulled his pants down and tossed them in the laundry basket before heading straight to the shower.

That was the second night in a row. On one hand, the man of his dreams was _officially_ his boyfriend. Score! On the other hand, fuck, he was horny. Shiro left him with much to be desired that night. He groaned at the thought.

Remnants of the dream filled his head once more and he grew hard again. He wrapped his hand around his erection and coaxed himself to come. He realized he could have switched the shower to cold, but he secretly wanted to ride out the high that thoughts of Shiro gave him. The effect the man had on him was dangerous.

Lance dried off with a towel. He glanced over his phone and saw the text notification.

> Morning Handsome.

His heart jumped. He wanted to squeal, but kept his cool even though he was alone in his room. 

> Right back at cha ;)

He would have texted something to top off the “handsome” comment, but how could he begin to describe the gorgeousness which was Shiro.

Shiro sent a kissy face and

> Call tonight?

Emoji with the tongue sticking out.

> You better <3

———

Lance went down to eat breakfast. His mother was at the dinner table drinking coffee and playing with her phone while his brother was eating a Nutella-filled croissant while watching television. His father was making eggs in the kitchen and his sister was pouring cereal into a bowl. 

“Damaris~” Lance chirped from behind his sister. She was in full uniform: blue scrubs with a black stethoscope over her shoulders and her hair in a high bun.

“What is it?” She didn’t look up as she poured milk over her cereal. 

“When are you going to visit Mr. Antok again?”

“Why?” She gave a knowing grin as she made her way to the dinner table with Lance tagging along behind her.

“Because I’m craving pastelitos!” He made a show of whining and Damaris playfully rolled her eyes.

Mr. Antok was one of Damaris’s patients that she visited. He lived in Mamora, which was more than an hour away. And there was this Cuban bakery close to where he lived and whenever Damaris went to visit him, she would bring delicious treats back home with her.

“His appointment is next week.”

Lance grinned, excited for the tasty dessert he’d have in the future.

“Lance, when are you going into heat?” His father asked as he served his mother eggs onto her plate.

“Dad!” His brother, Artie, whined. He was the only beta in the family and despite growing up surrounded by it, he was not very enthusiastic about phenotype talk. Neither was Lance.

“It’s not coming for another three weeks so don’t worry about.” Lance answered.

“I’m sorry Arturo, it’s just now that Lance has a boyfriend, I get worried tha-”

“¿Lance tiene un novio?” His mother paused. 

———

For a moment the table was silent. Damaris and Lance were holding their breath. Lance, for a second, thought if he ignored his mother’s question she would forget, but that wasn’t the case. The following minutes consisted of her screaming about how she didn’t allow this and getting as close to an alpha frenzy without completely losing it. He argued about how he was 20 and that he was allowed to have a boyfriend and that his other sister, Kay, was married at 22. The last statement might have made it worse actually. 

In the end, they came to the conclusion that his mother couldn’t control who he was dating, but that the family would be keeping a close eye on him and his boyfriend. It was just a part of Lance’s culture to have his family so involved in his life. And though it was a bit annoying to know that he would have people “babysitting” him, it was nice to know that his family cared so much about this well-being.

He spent the rest of the day going to classes, hanging with Hunk and Pidge, avoiding Lotor, and doing homework. He was just about to doze off in bed when his phone started ringing.

“Hello.” A sultry voice greeted him on the other line.

“Hey Handsome.” Lance purred. He could hear Shiro’s breath hitch. _It was too easy._  

“I missed you.” Lance’s heart skipped a beat. Fuck, _he was easy too._

“I missed you too. When am I going to see you again?”

“I’m not working late anymore, so I can visit you more often. Granted, you’re not in class or tending to the store.” 

“You could probably hang out in the shop if you want. My whole family basically knows about you.”

“They do?” He could hear the concern in Shiro’s voice and he rushed to explain himself. He didn’t want Shiro to think he was some teenager who went blabbing about his relationship status.

“Well my dad kind of let it slip.” He went on to explain the events of that morning and to his delight, Shiro laughed. 

“You probably don’t get much action, do you.” Shiro chuckled. He had _no_ idea. 

"About- about that night," Lance began, feeling obligated to bring it up.

"Don't worry about it," Shiro chuckled, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's not the worst way I’ve ever been caught."

Lance paused over the phone and Shiro continued, “Sophomore year of college, I had this roommate…” Shiro ran a hand through his hair, “And he may have walked in on me having sex with my then-boyfriend _on his bed?_ ” 

“You’re horrible!” Lance laughed.

"Come on, don't tell me you don't have an embarrassing sex story." Shiro teased.

Lance flushed, he didn't know if he should tell Shiro that he was still a virgin. Would he think less of him if he did? _He was 20 for god sakes!_  

"Aww," Shiro coaxed, "now you're all quiet?" Lance didn’t realize that he hadn’t said anything for a while.

"I have a story!" He defended, "Like this one time..." he didn't know where this was going, but felt the need to prove himself, "I was with my girlfriend, freshman year, in her dorm room and her parents decided to pay her a 'surprise visit'." He kept the details minimal, leaving it up to his boyfriend's imagination. The only true part about the story was that he did have a girlfriend freshman year... of highschool.

"Damn, parents, huh?" Shiro’s voice sounded impressed on the other end. "Guess you win this one." 

\--------

Since Shiro wasn't working overtime anymore, he was able to visit Lance more often. Lance’s dad and Damaris were there sometimes “spying” on them, but Lance knew it was just to be nosy. He managed to avoid meeting Lance’s mother somehow to Lance’s delight. And he even started helping around the store. He lifted heavy items, watered peonies, and occasionally brought Lance food as he tended the register. 

Shiro handed him his drink, Lance exhaled after taking a sip. "How is it you know exactly how I like my coffee?" He arched a brow.

"Sweet enough so you can stand the coffee, but not too sweet so it still taste like coffee."

Lance laughed, nudging Shiro's arm, "You're perfect, you know that right?" 

Shiro couldn’t hide his smile.

"How's Leo?" It was the name Shiro gave to his amaryllis, noting how the bulb opened up like a lion's mane.

"It already bloomed and it's very easy to take care of, " Shiro grinned, "thanks for recommending it to me."

Shiro offered him a donut which Lance gladly accepted. They ate together in silence as they looked around the empty store.

"Hey are you free on Saturday?" 

"Yeah I think so." Shiro stroked his chin, "Are you finally taking me out on that date." He winked at him.

"Sort of?" Lance shrugged his shoulders, "I promised this old lady that I'd help her garden."

"Gardening with old ladies..." Shiro pondered out loud, "Yeah, that sounds pretty sexy. I'm convinced."

"You're a dork." Lance chuckled, tiptoeing to give Shiro a sweet kiss. 

\-------

“Halmeoni, we’re here!”

Lance called before opening the fence to the backyard. Shiro followed closely behind him, carrying the box of supplies Lance brought to help them garden.

"Lance!" Mrs. Park got up off the ground, brushing herself off before greeting her guests. "Thank you for coming." She smiled as she looked Shiro up and down, "And who is your friend?"

"Umm..." Lance hesitated before introducing him, "This is my boyfriend." He gestured to Shiro. They both blushed. 

"Nice to meet you!" Mrs. Park grinned, her eyes crinkled with old age. Shiro reached out his hand which she gladly took. She didn't even hesitate to use her other hand to squeeze his arm, "You're so strong."  

She looked at Lance, giving an approving smile causing him to shift uncomfortably. "I was afraid you'd never find an alpha, and that I'd have to set you up with my hot-headed grandson." She chuckled. 

Sensing Lance's discomfort, Shiro decided to intervene, "You needed help gardening?" 

"Yes, I need you to help carry those bags of compost. My back isn't what it used to be." She admitted. "Lance can help me to transfer the seedlings into the soil."

"Sounds good." He looked toward Lance who gave a polite nod.

\-----

Lance felt slightly insulted that he was given a simple task while Shiro did all the heavy lifting. He loved Mrs. Park, but how much more of her ignorance could he take before snapping?

He set his shovel down, rubbing his hands together and blowing into them. Even if it was sunny outside, the sun did nothing to keep him warm.

He watched as Shiro jogged over to him. He had taken his jacket off earlier. His shirt was damp with sweat, and in its transparency Lance saw the way his abs rippled underneath. His toned arms fully exposed adding to the general bulk of his large frame. He ran a hand through his hair combing it back and Lance's breath hitched.

He reached over to grab a towel he had draped over a lawn chair, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "You're not hot?" Shiro nodded at Lance who had on a thick sweater.

"You know I'm hot," Lance winked causing Shiro to roll his eyes, shaking his head. "But it's still the beginning of spring." 

Shiro knelt down behind Lance and held him in his embrace. "Guess I'm just going to have to warm you up then." He said kissing Lance's ear.

Lance felt his face get warm as Shiro's alpha heat radiated his body. He even felt heat pool up in his stomach.

"Shiro..." He spoke softly.

"Boys!" Mrs. Park called from inside the house, "Come have lunch."

\-------

Lance cracked the egg into his bowl, watching as the heat of the stew cooked it. This was one of his favorite dishes and he was elated that Mrs. Park made it for them. It was perfect for the cool weather.

"Thank you Halmeoni!" Lance beamed. He blew onto a spoonful of tofu before taking a bite.

"Thank you for the food Mrs. Park." Shiro smiled.

"Of course! Thank you two for helping me today." She motioned toward the food, "Eat up!"

They had only been eating for a couple of minutes before Mrs. Park stirred up conversation.

"So Shiro, how old are you?" She inquired.

"I'm 27."

Lance stared at Shiro slack-jawed. "You told me you were 26?" The gap between them wedged even deeper now.

"My birthday was last week." Shiro shifted in his seat, not meeting Lance's gaze.

"And you didn't tell me?" Lance's brows knitted together in a frown.

"I didn't think it was a big deal." Shiro rubbed his neck, "I don't really celebrate my birthday anyway."

Lance wanted to throw his hands in the air, but he wasn't about to make a scene. They ate in silence. 

\-----

"Are you still mad at me?" Shiro broke the silence on the ride home, occasionally glancing over at the passenger seat.

"I'm not mad at you." Lance spoke through gritted teeth.

Shiro bit his bottom lip, trying to stay focus on the road. He forced a chuckle, trying to make light of the situation, "You can't be mad on my birthday."

"But it's not your birthday!" Lance snapped, "I missed it!" He could feel the tears tugging at the corner of his eyes and tried to hide his face.

"You didn't know."

"You didn't tell me!"

Lance looked out the window and he noticed Shiro taking a right instead of a left toward his house. He felt his shoulders tense. Shiro pulled up into an unknown street, parking his car near the sidewalk. He turned off the ignition and they sat there in silence for a couple minutes.

"Lance."

Shiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "My birthday's not a great day for me. It's a reminder of things I'd rather forget. I didn't even celebrate with my family growing up. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I just-," Lance hugged his chest, "Sometimes I feel like I don't know anything about you." Every time they talked it was mostly Lance talking, even in their text messages Shiro's responses were always brief. How could they say they were a couple when they barely knew each other?

"Lance." He hesitated before choosing his words, "I am so afraid of losing you."

"That's so dumb!" Lance twisted his body toward Shiro, his voice laced with desperation, it caught Shiro off guard. "I'm not going anywhere you big lug," Lance held his head low, willing himself not to get emotional, "if anything, I don't know why you want to be with me in the first place..." He returned to his original position, hugging his form once more.

They were quiet again with Shiro occasionally parting his lips, but never speaking.

"I don't want you to hold back on me, I can take it." Lance looked up at Shiro, locking his gaze. "I'm stronger than you think."

Shiro's expression softened. "I know that." He reached over to wipe a tear from Lance's face, "I wish I were as strong as you." He felt his heart pound in his chest.

"I'm going to try to open up to you more, just give me time." Shiro held Lance's hand in his. 

"You promise?"

"Of course." Shiro squeezed his hand and they both leaned in for kiss. 

"Let's go on your birthday date."

\-------

They were the only two adults playing in the arcade, all the moms were settled in the booths talking with each other as they kept their eyes on their children. The place echoed with clicks and whistles coming from the machines. He felt out of place surrounded by all the tiny children running around, even the machines seemed to have shrunk in size since the last time he was here. 

Shiro looked even more awkward, towering high enough to be able to touch the sky tube above them. Still, they managed to enjoy themselves by playing ski ball and air hockey, with Lance gloating every time he won and Shiro challenging him to a rematch while wearing a competitive smile.

Lance had to step outside to take a call from his sister, when he came back he asked Shiro if it would be alright to go. After handing all the tickets they won to a group of children, they headed home.

"That was actually my first time going to Slav's." Shiro rubbed the back of his neck.

"No wonder you suck." Lance teased.

"Hey, I won that one time!" Shiro defended, playfully poking Lance when he continued to laugh at him.

Lance invited Shiro inside, "It's almost dinner time, and my parents would be pissed if i didn't invite you in." When they opened the door all the lights were turned off. Lance took off his shoes and Shiro followed suit. "Mam, Pa, are you guys home?" He took Shiro's hand leading him inside. They followed a faint light into the kitchen. "Damaris?"

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Shiro. Happy birthday to you!" A group of people sang to him, while Damaris held up a cake lit with candles. "Make a wish!"

Shiro was still wide-eyed and speechless and his face had gone red. Lance squeezes his hand, encouraging him to go forward. And Shiro leaned in to blow out the candles.

His mother turned on the lights and they could finally see that the majority of the family was here.

"Cumpleaños Feli-" his brother began clapping his hands. Lance held up a hand "Don't even start." His brother sneered.

"Ahh... ¿Eres el novio, sí?" Lance's mother looked Shiro up and down before giving a sly smile.  

"Mamá!" Lance scolded when he noticed his mother releasing pheromones to intimidate his boyfriend. She was challenging him, despite being much smaller than Shiro.

"What, I'm just testing him." She smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Her husband stood behind her placing a steady hand on her shoulder. "Mi Corazon." He cautioned her.

She huffed, but held her hand out to Shiro, "Ava. It's very nice to meet you." Shiro slowly accepted, clearly terrified of the woman. "The-the pleasure is mine, Mrs. McClain."

"And I'm Artie," his older brother greeted, he also tried to intimidate Shiro by straightening his back. He was almost the same height as him, but much slimmer.

"Tío Lance!" His niece and nephew ran right up to him and he knelt down to bring them both into a hug. "Gawain, Morgan, it's so good to see you two! Where's Mamá?"

"Kay dropped them off a couple hours ago." Damaris said as she cut the cake, "She'll be back later tonight, probably when those two are sleeping."

"Tío, who is that?" Morgan asked as she hid behind him. He looked up at Shiro who had Gawain wrapped around his leg.

"He's Tío's alpha, duh." Gawain stuck out his tongue.

"No, I'm his boyfriend." Shiro corrected the small boy. Lance's eyes lit up at that.

"Come on everyone, let’s have some of this delicious cake." Lance's dad invited and everyone made their way around the table.

\------

"Do you like it?" Lance leaned into Shiro who sat besides him, "It's _tres leches_."

"Yeah, it's not too sweet." Shiro smiled, taking another bite, "the berries really add to the flavor."

"I’m glad," Lance hummed, squeezing Shiro's hand under the table.

"Can you two chill with the PDA?" Artie rolled his eyes from across the table.

"Hey, let the birthday boy have his fun!" Damaris said pointing her spoon at him.

"Guys..." Lance pursed his lips.

Shiro exhaled a deep chuckle from the back of his throat and Lance looked at him with his head cocked to the side. "Sorry," he began, "I've always wanted to have a family dinner like this, and I'm very thankful to be part of it tonight." 

"Oh..." Lance's father cooed, "Shiro, you are more than welcome to come back anytime." Even his mother nodded in agreement, her expression softened.

"What about your parents?" Artie inquired and Lance quickly glared daggers at him.

Shiro shifted his weight in his seat, "One of my fathers passed away when I was younger, and my other father..." He looked like he was searching for words. "It's complicated."

"Don't you have a brother too, Shiro?" Damaris asked and Lance swore he wanted to disown his siblings.

"Yeah, he's my only brother." Shiro kept his head down, never meeting anyone's gaze, "We don't get along either."

 _"Familia lo es todo."_ His mother spoke.

"I have to agree with my wife," His father added, "Family is very important and you should try to make peace with your brother when you can."

Shiro's hand was limp in Lance's grip. "I know you'll make the right decision when the time comes," he reassured him. And Shiro smiled, but it was unconvincing.

\----------

After thanking his family for the surprise, Shiro and Lance drove to the park. They strolled along the sidewalk while holding hands the entire time. It was chilly at night and Shiro offered Lance his jacket, which he took, because he knew Shiro's furnace of a body would manage on its own. They laid down on the roundabout looking up at the helicopters in the sky, pretending they were stars. It didn't take long before Lance was on top of Shiro and they were making out again.

"Are we really gonna fuck in a playground?" Lance asked. 

"I wouldn't be against it." Shiro smirked. Lance laughed, leaning down again to capture his lips.

"You know, my place isn't too far from here..." he suggested, "maybe we could… you know?"

"Let's go." Lance didn't even hesitate.

\------

Lance couldn't keep his hands off of Shiro throughout the entire ride. He kept kissing his hand, grabbing him, and reaching under his shirt until Shiro had to scold him for distracting him and putting their lives in danger. Even when Lance sucked one of Shiro's thick fingers into his mouth which caused him to shiver, Shiro had to will himself to stay focus.

They were making out at the door with Shiro pinning himself against Lance as he tried to unlock the door to his apartment. They undressed as they entered the apartment, tossing clothes in every direction with Lance following Shiro at the touch of his lips.

They both flopped onto Shiro's bed, with the mass of Shiro's body enveloping him. Shiro held himself up on his elbows, looking down at Lance and taking in every feature.

It was at that moment, Lance awoke from his haze and his uncertainty must have shown on his face because Shiro backed off of him. He realized he was almost fully naked had it not been for his underwear. He felt insecure and tried his best to cover his body.

"We don't have to if you don't want to." There were those words again, spoken in a hushed tone. Shiro had always been so gentle.

"But I want to." Lance breathed, leaning in to lock their lips once more.

Shiro took a sharp inhale of Lance's sweet scent as he bent him backwards into their initial position with his hands gripping Lance's hips. He occupied Lance's mouth with his tongue as he slowly removed the last article of clothing covering him. Lance moaned when his cock was set free, already half hard when it met with the cool air.

Skillful fingers reached down to stroke Lance's leaky cock, spreading his precum around the tip causing Lance to arch his back even more, mouth agape. Lance could feel the butterflies pool in his stomach.

Shiro decided to tease Lance's hole, without inserting a digit, just to let him know what he planned to do with him tonight. He only lightly grazed his entrance when Lance whined in anticipation.

Lance spread his legs apart, he was more than ready, more than willing to have Shiro inside of him. Have his fingers, his prick, his knot. He wanted Shiro to fill him.  

What he got instead was Shiro sitting upright with eyes wide and two slick digits held up.

"Lance." Shiro swallowed, "You're in heat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also just have to mention to my younger readers. Don’t feel pressured to have sex if you’re not ready. I’m a 23 year old virgin so like you’re not alone! This is all just fiction, but thanks for reading :)
> 
> Thanks @calliopestories for beta-ing this chapter. Follow me on shirocest.tumblr.com
> 
> I’m now following #wiltedshance on Tumblr!


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